PUP candidate denies abandoning Brisbane with Kawana move

PALMER United Party MP Carl Judge denies he is abandoning his Brisbane constituents after it was announced he would contest the state seat of Kawana, pitting him in a head-to-head battle with Jarrod Bleijie.

Mr Judge is the state member for Yeerongpilly, but will stand for Kawana at the next election.

In January party leader and federal Fairfax MP Clive Palmer promised he would within a week announce a high-profile candidate to run against the Attorney-General.

He never followed through on the announcement, however a PUP campaign DVD sent out to voters this week lists, with little fanfare, Mr Judge as the candidate for Kawana.

Mr Bleijie yesterday

attacked Mr Judge's decision to stand for Kawana, describing him as a blow-in.

Mr Judge said he was passionate about regional Queensland, having served as a police officer around the state for 20 years.

He said he holidayed at Mooloolaba every year and promised to live and work on the Coast once the election had been called. But until then he said he would serve his Brisbane electorate.

"I'll continue to represent my electorate to the best of my ability up until the election is officially called. I will serve the entire term in Yeerongpilly," Mr Judge said

Mr Bleijie said: "The people of Kawana deserve more than a blow-in from Brisbane. When exactly was Carl Judge planning to tell his constituents that he was abandoning them for the Sunshine Coast? The people of Kawana and Yeerongpilly deserve more than just some words on a DVD."

Mr Judge said he was contesting the seat because of Mr Bleijie's poor record as Attorney-General.